All I Want For Christmas Is You
by MaraudersChosenNerD
Summary: During the chilly Christmas, Lily Evans finally found the hearth to keep her warm.


**Disclaimer: The characters, back ground story and anything alse you recognise belongs to J.** **K.Rowling**

"Thanks for dinner, Mrs Potter. I had a wonderful time", Lily said as she stood to leave after her supper at the Potters'.Mrs Potter smiled, "Oh, you're welcome dear."

"Are you sure you don't want to stay for a night cap Lily?", pressed Mr Potter from his seat on the couch.

"No, thanks Mr Potter, I have an early morning tomorrow."

"Oh yes. So you have everything ready for the wedding tomorrow? If you need anything ring us for help, my dear."

"I still think you should stay here. It's your sister's wedding tomorrow. I'm sure you're stressed plenty, I would rather you didn't stay all alone at home, especially on Christmas Eve. We could ring up your mother and tell her she could reach you here. Your parents wouldn't mind, I'm sure", said Mrs Potter, as she followed Lily to the hallway.

"Thank you so much Mrs Potter. But I don't really mind. Besides I'd have to wake up really early in the morning to reach the venue with everything necessary for the wedding. It'd would be an inconvenience to all of you, really."

"It'd be no such thing! But if you're sure."

"I am. Thanks again for everything Mrs Potter."

She hugged Mrs Potter and wished her a Merry Christmas eve once again before turning to leaving.

"Oh hush, it was nothing." Mrs Potter said patting her head affectionately.

"Bye James. Bye Sirius. I'll see you tomorrow", she called to the two boys in the kitchen.

Two raven haired boys walked out of the kitchen, where they were cleaning the dishes. "Bye Evans. Happy Christmas Eve again", they said in unison.

Before they could go back to their chores in the kitchen, Mrs Potter interrupted, "James, be a dear and accompany Lily home, will you?"

Lily suppressed a smile while James rolled his eyes.

"That's fine Mrs Potter. I can go by myself" she said, her hand at the door knob.

"She literally lives a stone's throw away. You can see her house from here", he retorted, nevertheless crossing the hallway to come stand with her.

Sirius grinned from his position by the stairs, "I don't know, what you two are complaining about. It's more alone time for you two."

It was Lily's turn to roll her eyes, while James threw the towel in his hand at Sirius's head.

Mr Potter chuckled as he too entered the hallway, making it seem slightly crowded, "James it's good manners to drop a lady back to her door. Now I, your mother and Sirius are going for a cup of eggnog. Go along now."

"C'mon Evans. Let's get you home." James said. The others were already moving back to the living room.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do." Sirius called from the living room.

"I don't want to think about how bad he's gonna be if we actually start dating", Lily murmured to James, nodding towards Sirius. James said nothing as he closed the door on their way out. Once out in the chilly night, Lily slipped her arms through his and pulled herself closer to him.

"So how was High Tea with the Dursleys?" James asked, referring to the small get together for the immediate family that Petunia had organised before the wedding.

"Oh the food, decorations and everthing was very Petunia-esque. Elegant annd classy. Everyone was in high spirits. I suppose it was the excitement of Christmas along with the wedding." she replied as they crossed the street to reach her home.

"And did you have fun?"

"I had a good time. I wouldn't use the word fun though."

After a few more moments of companionable silence, James spoke once again to announce their arrival.

"We're home."

Lily let go of him as she stepped on the porch. However instead of saying goodbye and stepping inside for a goodnight's sleep she sat down on the porch. Patting on the surface beside her she gestured for him to join her.

Once he sat down, she waited for a few seconds before starting, "You've been subdued lately."

When he didn't say anything she prompted further, "I mean no poking fun at Sirius or me, no witty puns at the dinner table, no shaming Sirius with your amazing comebacks when he took a jibe at us."

"What, you want me to defend you? Besides, that wasn't even a jibe. It was-"

"I know what it was. I just meant I've never known for you to let Sirius have the last word."

"I know what you meant."

She pressed, "So what is it? Talk to me."

"It's nothing, really. Honestly can't a guy be at peace for once without putting his feet in his mouth once in a while"

"A guy can. You can't. I've known you since we were eleven. I know you can never go without spouting crap from that fat mouth of yours for more than half an hour."

"I thought you just called me witty." he joked.

"Well, that just goes to say that even the best of us have to chew our own words sometimes."

"You have your sister's wedding to attend tomorrow. While i might enjoy goading on you when you're sleep deprived, looking like a racoon tomorrow would not be the way to go tomorrow. Petunia will grouch if you ruin her wedding photos."

"C'mon James, don't make me whine and wheedle things out of you", her voice sounding petulant, even to herself.

"You already are", he pointed out.

"I've just been thinking about Uni and what comes next and all that kind of stuff."

"Oh. You're worried about acceptance letters and stuff like that, is that it?"

"Well, not really. I don't mean to brag, but you know my grades are good and all that. I'm fairly confident I'll get into a decent university-"

"You're being way too modest."

"I know. You're right. I'm the best fucking student in class. I'm sure the best universities will be begging at my feet to join them, not to mention their soccer team.", he sassed.

Lily laughed turning to look at him, "Not sure I'd put it quite as vehemently as that, but you're not entirely wrong."

He smiled while looking to the street, his wrists crossed at his knees. The streetlights cast a warm glow on the scene. That, along with the white blanket of snow everywhere and christmas lights strung up on all the houses, gave the night a warm fuzzy feeling. And with the moon hanging low in the sky, the atmosphere seemed that much more romantic. As it started snowing once again, Lily quite forgot about a wedding tomorrow and how she was supposed to be inside, tucked into bed. She almost forgot everything but the feel of christmas and the warmth of James Potter sitting beside her.

"Don't look at me like that Evans. You're not even liquored up right now, which would atleast be an excuse for that look on your face. It'll give me the wrong impression"

She merely locked her arm with his and rested her head against his shoulder. While with his free arm James picked threads at his knee of his trousers as they sat in silence for a few more moments before Lily broke the silence.

"Well, what if it is the right impression?"

"Then I'll be quite the lucky bloke, won't I?"

"That you will be." she said, drawing patterns on his forearm.

"When you think about the future, what do you see?", he asked, his voice taking on a strange note.

"I see a lot of things. Sometimes I see myself at Med School, struggling to get through, but loving every minute of it. Sometimes I see myself settled in career and life, pampering myself with movie marathons, hot chocolate anad a bowl of popcorn. Sometimes I see myself practicing medicine and treating people at the hospital and helping them. But do you know what I see right now?"

With his head resting on top of hers and hers against his chest, she felt the pleasant shivers run through her as he asked, "What?"

"I see Christmas. Christmas with you. Because in this moment, thats the best thing I can think of. Me and you, sitting on a porch, just like this. Our car is in the unshoveled driveway, covered in snow. Maybe there's a kid. It's snowing and we catch snowflakes on our tongues. Our friends are all crashed in the house after a fun night, awaiting an early morning with presents under the tree. It's all very domestic."

"Maybe it's the wedding jitters."

She giggled. But it quickly died down as it seemed to pierce through the silent night. The time, it seemed to her, somehow only seemed right for silent smiles, warm hugs and soft kisses. As though reading her mind, James pulled his arm out of hers and wrapped them around her shoulders, pulling her closer.

Through her fuzzy state of mind, she somehow managed to get the words out.

"You seem awfully silent on the subject."

She felt his lips curve into a smile as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "That's because you're reading my mind and doing all the talking for both of us."

And just as she thought the night was perfect just the way it was, fate seemed to disagree as they heard a window clang open and the voice of Sirius Black echo through the night.

"Oh. My. God. Just kiss already." And the window shut as suddenly as it had opened. The night going back to the silent affair it was.

As she looked up at him, wanting to follow through on his best friend's advice, their lips awfully close, he whispered, "I don't trust him not to spy on us."

She inched closer to him, so that their lips brushed when she spoke. Eyes fluttering close, she whispered, barely moving her lips.

"Well, its nothing he won't see in the coming future, is it."

And with that she sealed his lips with hers. Noses bumping and arms entwined around each other.


End file.
